Multi-ply counter



Aug. 27, 1940. F. 1.. AYERS MULTIPLY COUNTER Filed March 29, 193-9 Patented Aug. 27, 1940 MULTI-PLY COUNTER Fred L. Ayers, Watertown, MassL, assignor to Brown Company, Berlin, N; H., a, corporation t of Maine Application March 29, 1939," s rial No.2643194 5 Claims. invention relates to a multi-ply counter which possesses such firmness or rigidity as is desired in its walls and yet affords such high flexibility or softness as is desired at certain of its edge portions.

The counter hereof comprises at least three differently-sized, superposed, bonded, counter blanksor plies, including outer plies of relatively flexible material and an inner ply of relatively stiif material. The inner-ply blank is smallest- ,"SiZGd and occurs between an intermediate-sized,

outer-ply blank, whose upper and side marginal "portions project beyond the upper and side mare ginal portions of the inner-ply blank, and the. largest-sized, outer ply blank, whose upper and side marginal portions project beyond the upper and side marginal portions of the intermediatesized, outer-plyblank. The inner-ply blank, be-

ing of relatively stiff material, plays the roleoi a stiffening corein the counter. I The largest-sized, outer-ply blank, being relatively flexible or soft, furnishes in the counter such edge portions as bespeak comfort to the foot.

sized, outer-ply blank serves'tomask the stiifor, 1 hard upper and side edges of the inner-ply blank ::from the foot and also to inhibit undesirable a separation or loosening of such edges fromthe' largest-sized, outer-ply blank; In these latter respects, the counter hereof represents a signifi .lcant improvement. over such two-ply counter as results from the method of my Patent No. 2,148,- 336, dated February 21, 1939.- 'In such latter The intermediatecounter, which comprises a relatively stiif ply or :fthe back of the counter on @5 1 counter comprising blanks or plies.

1 blank and a larger-sized, relatively flexible ply or blank, although the upper and side margins of the relatively stiff ply may be skived, such mar:

gins may break away from the farther-extending margins of the relatively flexible ply and thus. be

"erposed in their undesirably sharp andstiff or hard condition i 1 it With the foregoing and other features and oh- 1 .iects in view, thepresent invention will now be described in further detail with parti'cular ref-. erence to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows in plan view an outer-ply blank for the counter hereof.

Figure 2 similarly shows an inner-ply blank.

Figure 3 similarly shows the otheriouter-ply Figure l depicts in perspective the molded Figure 5 represents a vertical section through urea. l

ter hereof. eously aiford the inner wall of the counter (i. e.,-

that lying immediately next to the foot), maybe the superposed, bonded,

the line 5-,-5 of Fig (01 ca se); f

r: OFF l v The blank It in Figural represents the largest-sizedblank entering into the multi-ply coun- Such blank, which may advantacut from sheet material of the desired relative flexibility, for instance, rubber impregnated fl- 3 brous material. Thus, it may be cut from the relatively flexible artificial leather stock known Q on the market, as Onco, which stock is produced by impregnating with a rubber latex corn ,position a web of felted cellulose fibers, preferably a soft web composed of refined Wood pulp 3 having an alpha cellulose content upwards of about 90%, and then'dryingthe impregnated.

Web.. The blank H in FigureZ, which is to serve as the inner ply of the counter hereof, may be "cut from sheet material of the appropriate stifiness relative to Onco, for instance, fiberboard,

.leatherboard, or the like containing, .if desired,

rosin size, starch, or other suitable binders -or counter hereof and whose sizefis intermediate that-0f the blank ID and that ofthe blank l l,f may be cut from sheet materiaL'say; Onofioff f the same kind constituting theblank. ill.

Each of the blanks Ill and i2 is preferably cut away or recessed at its lower edge, portion to provide an elongated recess or openingy'c cor v responding to a zone normally occupied by substantially all, excepting the frontterminal regions, of the materialof the usual counterblank iorinedup into aheel flange during the customary molding of the blank. The blank II is preferably skived over all its marginalportions m.

j Whileit is possible more skive the .marginal portionsof the blanks it and l2,such skiving may well be omitted. Indeed, the relatively flex-1 The three blanksv Ill, ll, and I2 may be ap- -stifieningjagents I'hetblank !2 in Figure 3, which represents the other outer ply. of the propri'ately superposed in theorder namedwith l suitable. cement or'adhe'sive, "such asjrubber or pyroxylin cement, applied between the contactfing'surf acesj The superposition is such that the; 50

lower edge ofthe blank ll bridges the recess 0 l of such'blanks Ill and 12. In other wordsjthe in each of the blanks H) and I2 and substantially i coincides at its extremitieswith the lowerj edges lower edges of the three blanks are Maug am-.05 j

substantial coincidence, as the blank II is being substantially centered longitudinally 'on the blank if and the blank 52 is being substantially centered longitudinally on the blank H.

The three blanks are preferably plied or assembled with cement between their contacting faces just before their molding into the finished v .counter" illustrated in Figure 451s effected, for it sired finished configuration, that is, one more faithfully or accurately representative of the mold than otherwise.

Thefinished or molded counter of Figure is equipped with theusual heel flange h, which is whichpreferably" affords the inside Wall of the afforded by substantially only the skived relatively stiff material of the inner-ply blank it.

Because of the stiffness of such material, it lends 'itself'to sharp or accurate molding such as makes for nice seating of the heel flange h' on the heel seat of the shoe. insole. The three blanks or plies .of the counter all have lower edge portions in substantial coincidence at the front terminal regions 3 of the heel flange, since the recess or opening 0 in each of the blanks Ill and H2 is somewhatshorter thanthe length of the lower edge portion of the blank l l. Asbest appears in Figure 5, the largest-sized, outer-ply blank 10,

counter, extends substantially beyond the upper and side marginal portions of both the inner-ply blank; lficandithe intermediate-sized, outer-ply blank H, which latterextendsbeyond the upper and flside marginal portions of the inner-ply blank It. There is thus exposed-to the foot only separating or loosening from itsbonded position in between the tenaciously-bonded, outer-ply the relatively flexibleor soft ply material, which 1 provides the desired comparatively thin upper and side marginal counter portions t. Such portions f areafforded by only the outer-ply blank which is'capable of being compressed tola'thinner state '3 during .the counter'-molding'v operation.

' the regions of overlapr between the two outerply blanks ill and i2 are also susceptible of be-' "ing compressedduring the molding operation to Again,

a' thinner state andof being bonded togethers'o .tenaciously as to avoid practically any tendency for the skived upper and side marginal portions m of the relatively stiff inner-ply blankll from It may be' des-ired in some instances to mold the threeplied or assembled blanks hereof into a finished counter structure wherein the largest- "sized-blank it affords the outer wall of thev finished counter and the intermediate sized. blank l2 affordsthe inner wall of the counter ;(i. ve., the wall lying immediately next-to the foot). In such instances, too, the foot is in contactwith "material of the desired. softness-and resiliency, in- ,cludingupperand' side marginal. counter pordes'ired thinness as well as softness .and resiliency. r

tions of the L I claim;

A multiplycounter comprising at least three; differently-sized, superposed, bonded Iplies;

including outer-ply blanks of relatively flexible material and an inner-ply blank of relatively stiff material, the inner-ply blank being smallestsized, one outer-ply blank being intermediatesized and having upper and side marginal portions projecting beyondthe upper and side marginal portions of the inner-ply blank, and the other outer-ply blank being largest-sized and .having upper and side marginal portions projecting beyond the upper and side marginal portions of the intermediate-sized, outer-ply blank, whereby the upper and side marginal portions of said counter are afiorded by only the material 0f-said largest-sized, outer-ply blank.

2. A multi-ply counter comprising at least 'three differently sized, superposed, bonded plies,

including outer-ply blanks of relatively flexible material and an inner-ply blank of relatively stiff material, the innenply blank being smallest-sized and being skived at its upper and side marginal portions, one outer-ply blank being intern1ediatesized and having upper and side marginal portions projecting beyond the upper and side marginal portions of the inner ply, and the other outer ply being largest-sized and having upper and side marginal portions projecting beyond the upper and side marginal portions of the inter mediate-sized, outer-ply blank, whereby the upper and side marginal portions of said; counter are afforded by only the material of said largest-- sized, outer-ply blank.

- 3. A'molded, multi-ply counter equipped with a heel flange and comprising at least three difierently-sized, superposed, bonded plies, including outer-ply blanks of relatively flexible material and an inner-plyf blank of relatively stiff matrial, all ofsaid blanks having lower edge portions in substantial coincidence at the front terininal regions of said heel flange and the rest of said flange being afforded by substantially only the relatively stiff material of said inner-ply blank,

the inner-ply blank being smallest-sized, one outer-plylblank being intermediate-sized and having and side marginal portions of the intermediatesiz'ed, cuter-ply blank.

' 4. A multi-ply counter comprising at least upper and side marginal portions projecting beyond the upper and side marginal portions of the inner-ply blank, and the other outer-ply blank being' largest-sized and having upper and side 'mar'ginal portions projecting beyond the upper three differently-sized, superposed, bonded plies, I

including outer ply blanks of relatively flexible, rubber-impregnated, fibrous material and an inner-ply blank of relatively stiff fiberboard, the

inner-ply blank 'beingsmallest-sized, one outer- 7;

ply blank being intermediate-sized and having upper and side marginal portions projecting bemind the upper and side marginal portions of the inner-ply blank, and the other outer-ply blank being largest-sized and having upper and side marginal portions projecting beyond the upper and side marginal portions of the intermediate sized, outer-ply blank, whereby the upper and side marginal ortions of said counter are afforded by only the material of saidlargest-sized, 1

outer-ply blank. a

5. A niulti-ply counter comprising at least three differently-'sized, superposed, bonded plies, includingrelatively thin outer-plyblanks of relatively flexible, rubber-impregnated, fibrous material and a relatively thick inner-ply blank of relatively stiff'flberboard, the inner-ply blank being smallest-sized and being skived at its upper "and side marginallportions, one'oute'r-ply blank being intermediate-sized and having upper and side marginal portions projecting beyond the upper and side marginal portions of the innerply blank, and the other outer-ply blank being largest-sized and having upper and side marginal portions projecting beyond the upper and'side marginal portions of the intermediate-sized, outblank.

2,212,5sd? f V 7-,

er-ply blankpwh ereby the upper an d si de marginal portions oftsaid counter are afi'orded by only thejmaterial of said largest-sized, outer-:ply

AYERS. I 5 I 

